Outline and evaluate the model of working memory In this essay I am going outline what is working memory in terms of psychology and evaluate it in terms of both advantages and limitation of the working memory model. The fact that short-term memory contains both new information and information retrieved from long-term memory has led some psychologists to prefer the term ‘working memory’ (Baddeley and Hitch, 1974; Baddeley, 1986,1992) Working memory model is an alternative to the multi-store model; it is a far more complex explanation of short-term memory. Baddeley and Hitch argued that the short-term memory was made up of several subsystems, each of them have a specialized function, rather than the short-term memory model being a single inflexible store. According to Martin, G. N, Carlson, N.R & Buskist, W. (2006) “According to Baddeley, working memory is a short-term memory system that allows us to retain material for current use and not just for transport into long-term memory.” Baddeley suggested this short-term memory as having three independent components that allow us to store temporarily visuo-spatial material and verbal material. These components were so-called the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad and the Phonological Loop.
Describe and evaluate the Working Memory Model of Memory (12 marks) The working memory model by Baddeley and Hitch in 1974 is an alternative to the multi- store model, which was limited in its description of the STM. It consists of three main components, the first one being the central executive, which has overall control. The central executive is directs attention to two slave systems, the phonological loop and the visual-spatial sketchpad. The central executive has limited capacity but is able to process information from all the sensory systems, e.g. vision, hearing, etc.
Baddeley and Hitch developed a multi-store model of the short term memory called the working memory model. The model consists of three components which make up the short term memory. The central executive is a key feature of the whole store as it allocates the information to the two “slave systems” which are the visuospatial spatial sketchpad and the articulatory - phonological loop. The VSS stores visual and spatial information. Mental and visual images are an example.
The information enters the sensory memory model which is stimulated by the sensory form which remains unaltered in the mind for a brief time before decaying. It can be an auditory or visual trace. If attention is paid to the information, it is then transferred to short-term memory where it is stored briefly. The short-term memory receives and retains only a small amount of information where it receives minimal processing. The transfer of this information between the stages may require re-coding.
In this essay, the basic characteristics of autobiographical memory will be studied, the organization and types of autobiographical memory will be discussed, the interaction between language processing and learning will be explored and issues such as infantile amnesia, the awareness of self and brain development, will be examined. To start with, memory in general could be described as a process of storing, interpreting and retrieving information and experiences. But when we talk about autobiographical memory, we refer to the memories we have about ourselves and our personal experiences and also to the information about specific situations we have come across in the past (Bauer, 2007). In psychology the organization of memory and its division into other categories, helps studying in detail the various factors that exist within it. Firstly, memory can be divided into two sections; into short – term store (STS) and long – term store (LTS).
Psychology assignment 1 of 1 Cognitive Psychology, research report Does learning method effect our ability to store information in our short and long – term memory? Introduction: Cognition literally means “knowing” psychologists from this approach study cognition which is the mental act or process by which knowledge is acquired. As humans we acquire knowledge through learning and experience, and we store our knowledge by way of memory. “Memory is the means by which we draw on our past experiences in order to use this information in the present” (Sternberg, 1999) Therfore we learn and then we store information for future use. How does the past experience get into our memory in the first place?
Kahneman (as cited in Edgar, 2007) explains it in the limited capacity theory of attention. According to it, “the brain contains limited-capacity central processor responsible for analyzing incoming information and integrating it to information already held in memory” (Edgar, 2007, pp.11). Thus, when a person tries to do many things at once interference can occur if those things compete for the same pool of resources. However, Macleod (as cited in Edgar, 2007) showed that it is possible to do two things at once without interference. In his study, participants had to carry out a visual and an auditory task and respond to them by saying ‘bip’.
Multi-Store Model of Memory The multi-store model is the explanation for how memories are processed. It explains why only a few things are remembered and why some things are remembered and others aren’t. Atkinson and Schiffrin were the first to describe the multi-store model. They designed a simple diagram to show the multi-store memory: Sensory memory Environmental Stimuli Attention Short-term Memory Maintenance Rehearsal Information Retrieval Elaborate Rehearsal Long-term Memory Retrieval Sensory memory Environmental Stimuli Attention Short-term Memory Maintenance Rehearsal Information Retrieval Elaborate Rehearsal Long-term Memory Retrieval The Multi-store Model has 3 different places for memory storage. Information passes from store to store in a linear way and there are different explanations for forgetting in each store The first store is where sensory memory is processed.
Baddeley and Hitch used the term 'working memory' to refer to the part of the memory that is active or working. This could be as simple as playing a game, calculating sums or reading a sentence all of which are collecting data to be stored. The working memory model consists of three parts; these are the central executive, phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad. The central executive controls attention and draws on the other two systems known as the 'slave systems'. The central executive has a limited capacity; in other words it cannot attend to too many things at once.
Discuss the value of the Multi Store Model of memory (12 marks) The MSM of memory consists of four main components: the Attention System (Sensory Store), the Short Term Store (often known as the working memory), the Rehearsal Loop and the Long Term Store. The Attention System filters incoming information. If this information is paid attention to, it gets transferred into the Short Term Store. However, if the information is not acknowledged it is lost/decays. The Rehearsal Loop allows the rehearsal of information resulting in it being transferred into either the Long Term Store, or due to maintenance rehearsal, the information will be able to stay stored in the Short Term Store.